” Forget Your Past, Forgive Yourself, And Begin Again Right Now.”
-Kisha
Welcome to my world of random thoughts and musings on all things weight loss and fitness by an ordinary human being.
Introduction to come, so stay tuned!
Weights and measures: June 2021
“It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but a good amount of it actually is.” – Unknown
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 147.8lbs
Overall weight LOST: 15 lbs
Overall inches LOST= 13.25″
It’s been one of those months (Or two or three.). It has not been all rainbows. Stress can really do a number on your brain and your body. It’s one of those things that is REALLY hard to get a handle on, especially when you don’t even realize it’s there, or what could be causing it. The past year and a half has had a lot of things that have piled up, including things I didn’t even know were bothering me.
The good news is, my back and other muscular issues have actually been pretty good lately. So much so that I bumped my muscle manipulation appointment a few weeks out. The bad news is, I haven’t been feeling quite right, mostly at night. I haven’t been sleeping well. When I’d be falling asleep, or wake up to turn over in the middle of the night, I would think I was feeling heart flutters. That made it really hard for me to go back to sleep because I was worried about what it might be. My blood pressure has been great, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I made an appointment with my primary physician. She ran an EKG and also listened to my heart. The EKG results were normal, and she said my heart sounded great…YAY! That was at least one thing off my mind. So then, we chatted. SO many things that I hadn’t thought about that I could be worried about…Not long before this appointment, COVID protocols had started changing. The questions became wear a mask/don’t wear a mask, being judged for our decisions on getting the vaccine, when to go back to church and the gym, is church going to be the same (Some things there are changing, but since we haven’t been yet, we’re not sure how/if they will affect us.), what will home group be like, if at all? It’s amazing how many things COVID changed. This pandemic affected so many more things than people’s health. Many things were not changed for the better…attitudes, friendships, the way things are run, people who can’t get a grip on the fact that these places have the right to do things how they wish…it’s just gotten so out of hand. I didn’t realize that many of these things were possibly affecting me personally. Anyway, all that to say that we figured out a way to help me out, and things seems to be going smoothly, for the most part.
Workouts have been off and on, but I’ve been doing the best I can. If I’m up for it, I do it, and do as much as I possibly can while trying to not to push myself too hard. I’ve been doing more body weight workouts, but am getting back into weights. I don’t think I’ve lost a lot of muscle, but I feel like I have. I feel weak when lifting because I have fallen back just a bit. I’m hoping that it won’t take long to get back to where I feel good about where I am.
I have been following WW during the week, and doing pretty well on the weekends. Just a little over a week ago was Randy’s birthday, and mine is next Monday. I was hoping I’d be just a bit lower on the scale for my birthday, but I knew things would be a little off since I was planning on letting myself enjoy our celebrations (I’m still within my happy numbers). Starting next Tuesday, the plan is maybe just a couple of drinks a month, if any at all, and same for sweets. I have two goals in mind for when we get our anniversary photo shoot done…I’d LOVE to hit my major goal of 140, but will be happy being under 145. That shouldn’t be difficult to do if I follow my plans, but we’ll see.
All in all, I’m hoping that I am able to get better sleep and better workouts. Those two things are the hardest for me to accomplish right now, so that’s where my concentration will lie for the next 3 months. I’m REALLY looking forward to a great, relaxing vacation in September!
‘When someone says you can’t do it, do it twice and take pictures.” -Anonymous
That’s the plan, Stan! LOL
-Kisha
Weights and measures: May 2021
“We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.” – Helen Keller
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 148.4 lbs
Overall weight LOST: 14.3 lbs
Overall inches LOST= 11.75″
“We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.” Helen Keller was correct. We can literally do anything if we put our minds to it. Will it happen overnight? No. Will it happen over time? That answer is not as simple as yes. Yes, it CAN happen over time. You just have to keep at it. Nothing is going to happen if you quit, or give up. I will never be able to completely stop the way I am eating, or the workouts I am doing if I want to meet my goals. Will I ever meet them? That question also does not have an easy answer. There are many things out there that I could do to meet my goals, and possibly even meet them quickly. I may try one of those…like intermittent fasting. I know from my experience, and how my head works that some of those things will not work for me, but I’m not against trying a little something new.
Another answer to that is body chemistry. When I really decided I needed to get healthier back in 2013, I was 39/40 years old. My body chemistry was different back then, so it may have been easier for me to lose 50 lbs then. I only needed to lose 22 lbs this time around, and it has definitely been more of a struggle. It seems I need to be a bit more strict, which I can absolutely do, I just need to do it. I’ve been doing pretty well, all things considered, and I am very happy about that. I do have goals, and plan to really hit the strict button in June, once our birthdays are over. That does NOT mean I will be eating crap until then. I will maintain my daily point counting and exercise until those special occasions arrive. Then, I will let myself enjoy things a bit.
Workouts haven’t changed too much since last week. The main thing is that I am on week two of the WW one month challenge, and I’m doing well. I am adding 2-3 core moves to the end of each workout. I’m trying to up a couple of the moves, and I have, but not on all of them. It may take me a couple of weeks to do so. It seems so weird to me that a body weight workout can be tough on someone who has been working out fairly consistently since 2016. Maybe because I’m getting older, maybe because of the times I’ve had to take a break due to my muscular issues…I don’t know, but it’s tough! I can’t imagine being someone who has never been one to exercise trying this as their first challenge. I don’t think I would have made it! LOL
Anyway, I feel like so little has changed lately that I am just spitting word vomit. LOL I’m trying not to, but there’s just not a ton to say about my currant situation. All I can say at this point is that I am doing the best I can, and hope that what I am doing will make the changes I’d like to see in the long run.
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele
You do you to the best of your abilities!
Love you all!
-Kisha
Making the right decisions to get the desired results
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 149.5 lbs
LOSS: 0 lbs
Overall loss= 13.2 lbs
“If today you are a little bit better than you were yesterday, then that’s enough.” – David A. Bednar
I can’t remember if I have posted that quote before, but at this moment in time, it rings true. As you can see, I took another short break. Things were just not really going anywhere, and I figured you’d get bored if I just typed paragraphs of word vomit. LOL
It is SO hard getting back into the swing of things when regular workouts are a struggle. Walking is great a great tool, but it doesn’t do it all. Believe it or not, this girl who HATED working out actually misses it a bit when I know I my body needs to rest. When I get back to it, I go all in, and sometimes push myself too hard. I will get to a point where things feel great, I’ll do a couple of good workouts, do something in just the wrong way to make SOMETHING hurt (I feel like it is something different every time. So annoying.), and I’m down to walking for a few days until it feels better, or I see my “manipulator” (musculoskeletal Dr.). For a couple of days past that appointment, I’m either told to rest my muscles for a day, or two, or I’m still too sore to do anything. It seems to be a viscous cycle. SO MANY TIMES I have gotten the idea in my head that this is just too dang hard, or that I am just awful at it, and I want to quit working out all together. It feels pointless when I seem to always be sore…not workout sore, but painful sore. I feel like I am always doing something wrong, so I might as well stop trying. NO. DON’T DO THAT! (I’m yelling ay you as well as myself. I NEED to see that!) Instead of giving up, no matter what your issue might be, just LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. You do whatever it is you have to do to keep the ball rolling, because, as you can see above “If today you are a little bit better than you were yesterday, then that’s enough.” Whatever it is that you CAN DO (NEVER say CAN’T!), DO IT… Walk, do a body weight workout, stretch…just keep moving.
I’ve also been having HORRID allergies issue since August. TX hates me. 😛 That has made walking tough because I feel awful later in the evening. I LOVE enjoying the weather when it’s beautiful out, whether it be on a patio, with the Jeep top off, the house windows open…I just do. I know it will affect me, but I do it anyway, and then I suffer. I have been having a really hard time sleeping, which in turn makes it harder for me to lose/keep the weight off. I can say, through this whole pandemic, allergies, winter weather, having our COVID shots that put me out for a total of 4 days, I have done a pretty darn good job at keeping off most of the weight I had lost last year, but I am sitting at the high end of my happy zone. I always laugh at house buyers on those hunter shows when they say, “Oh, well that’s at the TOP of our budget!” You have a limit for a reason. If it’s at the top, but still within range, what does it matter? Well, it kind of does matter, at least in weight. You see, if you start your weekend in the middle of your happy place, it gives you a little more freedom to enjoy a little without going over. If you start at the very top, you have nowhere to go but out of that comfort zone. I like having more wiggle room.
I have goals that I am shooting for. I also have a couple of days that I want to enjoy without worry. We are going on vacation to the beach for our 25th anniversary later this year. Ya’ll, I want to look at myself in my new swim suit and say “Yeah, he married THAT!” LOL I don’t want to disappoint myself. We also have birthdays in May and June. I WILL enjoy both days without a care in the world, because life is worth enjoying! So, that brings me to my goals for the rest of 2021…I will continue doing WW and eating well between now and Randy’s birthday, have lots of fun, then hunker down (For two weeks)for my birthday, again, enjoying myself. Then, I will hunker down again till the 4th of July, have fun at our gathering, then bow my head and plow through the next couple of months so that I will be where I want to be for our photoshoot and trip. All I want to do is have a bit of wiggle room to enjoy our anniversary. I don’t need to lose 20 more pounds, just 5…MAYBE 10. I want to look back on all of the hard work I have done and know that I am in the best shape of my life. In order to do so, I am going to try a few lighter, but tough workouts to hopefully keep myself from getting hurt. Starting today, I am doing a NO WEIGHT/BODY WEIGHT workout that was suggested by WW. It seems a little beginner for someone who has really been trying for the lest 5 years, but I’m hoping that it will help strengthen things that seem to be problem spots…Stupid ribs). I am going to add a couple of core exercises to the end. I will do that on M/W/F. On Tuesdays, I plan do do High Fitness at the gym (Starting the week of May 5th.). My body really seems to react more to cardio, so I want to make sure I get that into my routine. I may also add in an upper body workout with Randy on those evenings. On Thursdays, I will either do an upper, or lower body workout, and on Saturdat’s I will dance again, if the class is available. On Sunday’s, I will do TRX with Randy at the house. Then, most days I plan to walk as well. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but the body weight workouts only take about 15 min,. and are not hard core, so I’m going to sort of count that as a rest day. If that doesn’t work, or I find I have hurt something yet again, I will find a day to do a full rest day.
Here’s hoping the rest of this year is what I’m looking for it to be. I really need for things to be a little easier to make results happen. I need better sleep, I need my dadgummed allergies to FINALLY go away (I may end up seeing an allergist.) and I can get back in the groove. I know it can be done because I’ve done it before. Please pray that I don’t have any setbacks…AGAIN! (Stupid ribs. I need to wrap myself in duct tape!). Saying a prayer for all of you that may be having some of the same issues. It’s tough, but we are all capable of making changes happen, no matter how small those changes are. See y’all next week!
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
-Kisha
Your starting point is wherever you are.
“Begin anywhere.” – John Cage
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 151.1 lbs
LOSS: 0 lbs
Overall loss= 16.2 lbs
John Cage said it best. Short, sweet and to the point. In the fitness and weight loss journey, you can literally start from anywhere…near or far. You can start at the beginning with a finish line in mind. You can start in the middle where you have worked hard to get, take a short break, and pick right back up where you left off. You can be SO close to the end, and just keep chugging along.
I took a quick break to enjoy a lovely vacation visiting my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and nieces last week. Boy, did I enjoy it! Our meals actually weren’t THAT bad…chicken tacos (Chicken on corn tortillas), stew, chili (LOTS of veggies), sea bass (sauce on the side), but it was also my SIL’s birthday week, and we had dessert…lots of dessert…like 1 or 2 pieces a night! We also had mixed drinks almost every night. When we left our house, I set my mind to gaining no more than 5 lbs. I did just that. LOL Since I had already put that number in my mind, I set myself up to enjoy what I wanted without the fear that each bite was going to ruin my day. I didn’t let it. I didn’t even track anything, and I didn’t punish myself. There wasn’t any reason to. I knew that when we got home, I’d jump right back into it…sort of. I gave myself till today. So, TODAY, I started tracking. I ate the meals we had planned, and stayed within my points.
Working out on vacation is always a challenge, especially since gyms have been closed, or we do not feel comfortable in one just yet. We will get there again, hopefully by the end of summer. It’s more difficult to bring workout equipment along for the ride, and even more so if you are flying (We did not.). We did take a couple of things along, but ended up not getting them out. Instead, we just walked twice for about 40 min around their hilly neighborhood. We got our heartrate up, and burned a few calories. We would have walked more, but the day before we arrived, we went to see the Walnut Canyon National Monument in AZ. It was so BEAUTIFUL! It also has had 700+ steps…up hill both ways…for real. LOL I didn’t have on hiking shoes, so my calves were KILLING me even THREE days later! It didn’t help that I had to go upstairs to my bedroom. LOL So, we didn’t walk as much as we wanted. Oh well…I get to get right back on that train now!
The day after we arrived home, I had an appointment to see my muscle manipulator. I thought I was going to be much worse that I was since I spent four days (2 at a time.). Luckily, the only thing that was really bothering me was my left side/neck area where I have had ribs out of place in recent weeks. I’ve been having the area worked on, and it’s lightened up a bit, but even on the trip it would get rather sore after a day of scrapbooking. It’s still a bit sore at times, which has kept me from trying any upper body workouts. I REALLY need to get back to that as I can tell I’m losing a bit of my progress. UGH I’m hoping I can pick back up on that this week.
Our menu this week consists of many regulars (Chicken tacos, chili with ground turkey, chicken sausage hash, chicken tortilla soup…) an old WW favorite (Easy fried rice with chicken) and a “newbie” a turkey bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich. As much as I love a yummy dessert and a good drink, it does feel good to get back into the grove.
Getting fit and losing weight sounds complicated. It really can be for some. Some struggle mentally, while others have medical issued that make things a little more difficult. My struggle is not getting where I want to as quickly as I’d like, and loving myself where I am. I have yet to reach my ultimate goal. I’ve come close, but struggle to get closer. I have finally reached a place where I am comfortable, but I could always be better. Getting back into the groove of things can be tough sometimes, but we all know what we need to do. Be sensible, work hard, workout harder drink your water (I am REALLY on the struggle buss with this right now.) and just DO YOUR BEST. Everything else will fall into place. We’ve got this!
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
Love you all.
-Kisha
Staying on track through unexpected trials
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” —Arnold Schwarzenegger
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 146.5 lbs
LOSS: 0 lbs
Overall loss= 16.2 lbs
When it comes to unexpected trials that pop up, it can be extremely hard to stay the course. It’s so easy to give up because we feel like we don’t have the time, or the energy to deal with said trial AND our eating habits. Our eating habits usually get left behind. It’s SO easy to give that up to concentrate on something we deem more “important.” I truly understand, BUT, our eating is just as important! I’d love to just sit around eating chips, cookies, bon bons…but I try my hardest to make that less of an option. When preparing the things I need to eat during a trial, I try really hard to set myself up for success. For instance, here in Texas this week, we have experienced some real hardships…a winter weather storm which happens about once every 5-10 years.
This particular storm produced snow, ice, record low temps and wind chills, high gusty winds, horrible road conditions, hours long power blackouts which in turn created a situation where our water treatment plants could not clean our water, so we had a water boil notice, low water pressure, stores that were either closed to conserve power, or had been cleaned out of the needed supplies…it’s been tough, more so for some that others. Pretty much none of these things were expected. The only things we knew to expect were snow, ice, and lower than normal temps and a lot more of these things than we are used to.
We knew we should be prepared to be in the house, but maybe just for a couple of days. When we placed our grocery order for the days ahead, we made sure to stick to things we knew would help me stay on track. We planned for things with plenty of leftovers so that we would not be rooting around to find things to make, or snack on. This would have been difficult though, had we lost power. If we had known that was a possibility, we would have made sure that we had the proper foods available that did not have to be cooked. Yes, we did had some chip/pretzel/popcorn options, but I still made sure they fit into my daily points…although on the first day, I had had enough. Knowing what could still be coming, as well as knowing what my parents, and others, were going through, I had to have a drink. We also made snow cream, because…SNOW, and I’m okay with that!
Now, the day all of this started was February 14th. Yeah, Valentine’s Day. We don’t go all out for that day, as we celebrate each other all year long, but we did have plans to go out for dinner. That didn’t happen. Luckily, we knew it probably wouldn’t, so we planned to have steak, green beans and a sweet potato at home. The thing is, it WAS Valentine’s Day, so we had planned to have dessert. Being stuck at home having dessert that was WAY more than we normally partake in (We usually share *1* dessert.) was not good. We ate it…ALL of it. I just knew that that would have put me way over my happy weight zone, but the plan was going to be to enjoy myself, then pick right back up where I left off. I have NO idea how, but I ended up LOSING weight that weekend. Not much, but I was just glad I was still in my happy range. Yay for little surprises. LOL
Working out over the last 4-5 weeks has been a bit tricky because I’ve had a couple of ribs that were unhappy. UGH I was able to do some dance, and walks with Wili, but I only did those a couple of times. I haven’t lifted weights at all, and I’m feeling the loss of muscle tone a little. I am pretty bummed about that. I THINK I’m on the other side of the rib thing now, so my plan is to try an arm workout today. I was going to try it yesterday, but with all of the craziness around me, I was just not feeling it. I was moody. 😛 I’m still not back to my normal happy self, but you know, I just need to pull up my big girl panties and get to moving! Moving can help elevate one’s mood (Although, most of the time, a good calorie burn just makes me sleepy! LOL)
Thank goodness all of this craziness should be pretty much resolved by Friday. Life can then get back to whatever “normal” is. We will also be seeing family soon, which always lifts my spirits, especially when it’s so hard to make that happen during these times of COVID-19. I will take whatever I can get!
May they Lord bless those of you who have been experiencing the same things over this past week. It’s been rough. I know that in times like this, it’s hard to make the best decisions for our health. I get it, I really do. If you picked up something to snack on when you normally wouldn’t, please do not be hard on yourself. As I always say, life happens. We just need to wake up the next day and KEEP GOING. Don’t punish yourself, or give up over one move. It’s going to be OKAY! Just remember, every day is a new day. We will always have decisions to make. We just have to make sure that we know that our health is worth the right one.
“I know what I have to do, and I’m going to do whatever it takes. If I do it, I’ll come out a winner, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else does.” —Florence Griffith Joyner
Love you all!
-Kisha
Weights and measures: January 2021
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
– George Bernard Shaw –
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 147.9 lbs
LOSS: 0 lbs
Overall loss= 14.8 lbs
It’s true, life is about creating yourself. I have spent many days since probably 1998 trying to find who/what I thought I should be. I may never be the version I had in my head. Maybe I could have been had I stuck with my previous accomplishments, and not gotten back to the point where I had to try so hard to get to that point, again. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t stay that way! I mean, life has taken many turns, and I have gained a lot of insight on really trying to take care of myself, I’ve gained friends, I’ve gained a church I love, I’ve gained a healthy way of eating…most of the time, I’ve gained self love…even though this could always use improvement. I’ve also had a few issues along the way, which has made this a little more difficult. I’m older, and my body just does not want to cooperate in the ways it did before. You know what, though? I’m creating a NEW me. Every day adds to that creation, whether it’s making a new recipe, trying a new workout, resting my body so that I don’t cause more issues, or eating something a little “naughty” and knowing that it’s OKAY…it’s just a blip on the radar. Punishing yourself only makes things worse. It really is OKAY to treat yourself once in a while. What’s NOT okay is punishing yourself and deciding that since you “messed up” you might as well give up. Yeah, don’t do that. A healthy, yet enjoyable life, is well worth the effort. It’s a delicate balance, but balance is a HUGE part in being successful. Give yourself a treat, then pick back up right where you left off and keep on pushing to create the BEST you you can be, even if that’s different that your originally thought.
Workouts were good this week, but I got a pinch in my neck that I just can’t shake. I will be seeing my muscle “manipulator” on Wednesday, if I can’t sneak in tomorrow.
My toes have been a bit tingly this week. It’s not debilitating, so I was still able to workout, they just hurt a bit afterwards. I had a nerve conduction and muscle test done on my legs on January 5th. Holy COW! I can tell you that it was FREAKY! I wouldn’t say it was horribly painful, but it was super uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend getting one for fun. LOL The good news is that the test results came back normal. The bad thing is, I still have no idea what’s causing it. I’m guess (As well as my Dr.) that it still has something to do with my lower spine. She’s wanting me to do a follow up MRI, or see a spine specialist. I have yet to decide what I want to do. All I do know is that something isn’t quite right, and it can be pretty uncomfortable when it happens. The good thing is, it doesn’t last long. Please say a prayer that I make the right decision.
This week will be interesting, as I’ve been having different issues this week, and I’m always a bit sore for a day or two after being manipulated. It’s also supposed to be rainy off and on all week, so that may make any outdoor walking iffy, much to Wili’s chagrin.
We went a little crazy this week and tried a few new dishes. I made a sausage quiche and a chicken enchilada casserole, and Randy made a margarita tortilla pizza. They were all pretty good. I know that next time, I may add spinach to the quiche (And hopefully find a way to make it a little less watery) and use a little less garlic on the pizza. Holy garlic, batman! I was tasting it ALL DAY. 😛 One thing masks are good for! LOL 
This week, we will only have one new recipe. I will be making a cheese tortellini soup. It’s supposed to be rainy off and on all week, so we are going to have a few different soups, and chili. YUM!
Starting tomorrow (It’s bedtime here.), one day at a time, work on creating a new you. That doesn’t mean change everything about yourself, it just means to work to change the things you’d like to see differently. You can have a vision of what you’d like that to be, but don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t quite workout exactly how you’d planned. Be aware that things like aging, or certain workouts may not give you the exact results you wanted. Instead, take the fact that you are at a different stage in your life, or that the workout just isn’t for you and adapt. Find new ways of achieving your vision, but also know that you may need to change that vision. As long as you are working to improve yourself, that’s all that matters. You may trip up a bit here and there, but just dust yourself off and keep trying. If you never achieve your ultimate vision, try to find peace in that, but don’t stop working on being healthy.
One person’s success is another’s first step, only you can rate your achievements and find peace within yourself.
– Robert Zeidan –
You will never be someone else. Just be the best you you can be!
-Kisha
A fresh start!
“Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do good and great things. Believe that no mountain is so high you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. Believe in yourself.” Gordon B. Hinckley
Happy New Year to all of you lovely people…10 days late. LOL Randy was on vacation this past week, so I wanted to wait to do an update. Not a lot has changed over the last three months, and that’s OKAY! It’s actually a great thing after having celebrated our anniversary in mid October, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. I made it to January 1st having only gained 2 lbs from my lowest point in September.
There have been a lot of things to celebrate over the past three months. There was Halloween, which is never a huge thing for us. We don’t really celebrate it, other than handing out candy (Which we didn’t do this time.), so no real reason to let my guard down on my food tracking. Then there was Thanksgiving. We ordered some super tasty food from a restaurant called FNG Eats. We had a full meal of yummy things like roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, butternut squash soup and apple cobbler AND Randy smoked a pumpkin pie. I enjoyed the holiday and had a bit of everything. Next was Christmas where we had tamales and a few other goodies, including pumpkin pie. There are only two of us, and we finished off the pumpkin pie both holidays. 😛 FINALLY…the END of 2020 (Unfortunately, the turning of the clock at midnight New Years Day did not bring a knight on a white horse to take away the pandemic. 😦 ) We had more tamales on NYE, then steaks, green beans and a blackeyed pea soup on NYD. All of these holidays included a drink…or two. I would say I tracked my food a majority of the time, but not only is it hard to track some items due to them being from a restaurant, but I also wanted to enjoy the holidays without worrying about points. Sometimes, it’s worth the break mentally. So, maintaining my 140-150 lb range went pretty well, all things considered.
When it comes to other foods, we stuck to a lot of our staple recipes like chili, chicken tortilla soup, turkey burgers…things we didn’t have to think a lot about. Now that life is going back to whatever our “normal” is (Randy will continue to work from home for the time being.), we will be going back to trying at least one new recipe a week so we don’t get bored. One of our most recent new recipes was minestrone soup. It was really good. One thing I love about WW is that they have such a huge library of recipes that are already pointed out, which makes things SO much easier, but we also like to look around to see if there are things like InstantPot recipes that we can make fit into my points. That can take a little time to enter into the app, but it’s worth it. Once it’s there, it’s super easy to use again.
As for workouts, I did as much as my body would let me do. Some weeks it was 5/7 days, others it was 3/7. I’ve had a few different issues including a stiff neck, sore back, sore feet, sore legs…I just did what I could. I didn’t let it stop me most days, but I also knew when my body needed to rest. Even though exercise is very important, it is also important to rest it when needed. Don’t let that discourage you. Just like when you eat something you know you shouldn’t…like the donuts I had this morning. They were TOTALLY not worth the calories…you don’t beat yourself up about it. That’s the worse thing you can do. It’s life…as long as you don’t do it every day, it’s OKAY. Just wake up the next morning, eat right and start tracking again. It’s that easy. When your body needs to rest, DO IT. If life gets in the way of a workout, DON’T FRET! Get up and do the best you can. That’s always better than nothing.
The great thing about life and this journey we are on is that there is always another day to start fresh. You are NEVER starting over. You are just picking up where you left off. This is the way it should be.
We’ve got this! Love you all!
-Kisha
“Do more than exist—live.
Do more than hear—listen…
Do more than grow—bloom.
Do more than spend—invest.
Do more than think—create…
Do more than decide—discern.
Do more than consider—commit…
Do more than dream—do.
Do more than see—perceive.
Do more than read—apply.
Do more than receive—reciprocate.
Do more than choose—focus.
Do more than wish—believe…
Do more than encourage—inspire…
Do more than reach—stretch.”
John Mason
Transformation of body, mind and soul.
“It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you implement that effort into your life. Every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs. Keep going. Remember why you started.” Jillian Michaels
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 146.5 lbs
LOSS: 0 lbs
Overall loss= 16.2 lbs
Seems I have taken a break! The battery in my laptop, where I do all of my blog updates, seems to be dying rather quickly, so I am unable to do it from my couch…I know, but that’s where I’m the most comfortable.), so I have to do it from my scrap room where I have it plugged in. I always have good intentions to blog, and clean up this pig sty, but I always end up scrapping, and making a bigger mess, instead! LOL
Anyway, laziness aside, a few things have happened since I last chatted with all of you. Unfortunately, none of that is weight related.
😛 I seem to be at a stand still, but I am crossing my fingers that my body will respond to something, ANYTHING, sometime in the near future, and we can get back to our regular programming…my WHY. WHY am I doing? What is it’s purpose? Well, you will see by the end of this post that my WHY has definitely changed.
Here’s a couple of comparison photos just for fun:
Last month, we went on a family road trip for my dad’s 80th, and nephew’s 4th birthdays. They are blessed to share that special day. 🙂 My mom, dad, Randy and I met my brother, sister-in-law and nephew in Ruidoso, NM (A great half way(ish) point for us all) and stayed in a nice(ish) VRBO. It could have used a little TLC, but it was cute, and perfect for our little family of 7. We saw LOTS of beautiful deer which was fun. Since NM is “closed down” to travelers from TX, we had to quarantine for the 5 days that we were there, so we ate all of our meals in. That was actually not a bad thing. The meals we ate were all pretty healthy, which was a nice change from most vacations, but I did have a couple of drinks, and a couple small pieces of dessert. I only gained a lb, and that made me happy…then, I came home, and somehow, found a couple more. UGH So, now I sit at just a 13 lb loss. That’s all fine and good. Very thankful for that loss!
I did take 3 walks on that trip, and there was a VERY steep hill to climb, so that helped keep some of the lbs at bay. I didn’t do any other exercise, so there’s that. The good thing is, the most back stiffness I had while there was after a very physical game of Ping Pong! LOL I had no idea how strenuous it was! It’s been years since I’d played. What fun we had, though. Luckily, it did not make my 9 hr ride home the next day uncomfortable.
Back home, and back to the exercising that I could do, and back to logging all of my meals. I’ve done TRX a couple of times. I’m really starting to like it, but it’s tough! I was also able to do a High Fitness dance class last week, and actually felt pretty good afterwards. It has started getting cooler during the day, so I have been walking Wili a bit more, too. I took him on a crazy long walk to what I was hoping would be a fun park to visit. It was quite the letdown after taking 40 min to get there, and Wili was a little stressed most of the way because we took a very busy road that he wasn’t used to. It ended up being an almost 4 mile walk, which was nice, but I was glad it was over (I think he was, too!), and my back was ready to be done! 😛
All in all, I am trying to do as many things I can whenever I am able. As stated in the quote above, it’s not about perfection, it’s about effort, and I am putting in as much as my body will allow. It may not get me where I want to be as quickly as I want to get there, but every little bit I can do is what ultimately matters.
Just a quick health update. I did go to have my yearly physical right before the trip. I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that even after losing more weight, eating pretty well and exercising as regularly as I can, my cholesterol had gone back up a bit. The Dr. has mentioned putting me on a statin again, but I really want to avoid that, if at all possible…I just don’t know if it IS. So, we had a quick televisit and chatted about my worries and she suggested that I do a calcium test. This would reveal whether or not I had any build up in my arteries. I scheduled my test for October 12th. The great thing about this test is that if it reveals no build up, I no longer need to be concerned about my cholesterol numbers. That would be a HUGE weight off of my chest. I do hope this is the case, since our 24th wedding anniversary is only a few days after the test, and I would really like to be able to enjoy myself. If there is build up found, my Dr. will put a plan in place taking all of my concerns into consideration.
As I mentioned above, I ate pretty well on our trip. Of course, I could have done better, but it WAS vacation. I know the meals that I ate were pretty in line with what I normally eat, but I didn’t track them. I just ate what I wanted, and made sure not to totally overdo it.
When we got back, I started tracking again, but somehow I found a couple of extra lbs. I’m not excited about that, of course, but it is what it is. I will not be meeting my anniversary weight loss goal, but I’m okay(ish) with that.
My overall goal in this craziness is just to stay under 150. My reasoning in hitting 140 was just that it would give me a good 10 lb buffer for when I wasn’t going to be as careful as normal. I still plan on hitting that goal, and will continue to work towards it, BUT my mindset has been changed. I will still be following WW, I will still be logging my meals and meeting my daily point goals, and I will continue to do my workouts 4-6 days a week. If I lose more weight, FANTASTIC. If I gain a bit, I will buckle down a little more. As long as I can stay below 150, I will relax my mind, and just take good care of me.
I have also decided (If you read my FB post from a couple of days ago) that my “weight loss” photo shoot will now be a transformation shoot. I am not going to concentrate on the numbers at all. All that matters is where I started and how far I have come. I want to bring to the forefront the strength, courage, motivation, self love, support and joy it it takes to become the best me (And YOU!) I can be. The numbers will always fluctuate. The numbers don’t matter as long as I am keeping myself healthy, and in a good place. It has taken a long time for me to get to this place mentally. Yes, I want to look good, yes I want good Dr reports, yes, I LOVE seeing the scale numbers drop, but I NEED to be happy and content with where I am no matter where that might be. I can’t let a number that ebbs and flows for a myriad of reasons affect the way I feel about myself. I need the things I do FOR myself to be that guide.
“Transformation isn’t sweet and bright. It’s a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unraveling of the untruths you’ve carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting, before becoming.” Victoria Erickson
You can love who you are where you are, while continuing to create a new you. A new you doesn’t have to be weight loss related. I can be getting your mind and heart in a healthy place. Sometimes that’s just as hard. We’ve got this!
-Kisha
Make it happen!
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 146.5 lbs
LOSS: 1.8 lbs
Overall loss= 16.2 lbs
What has kept me going!
First pic- Beginning/4 mo./8 mo. Second pic- Beginning/8 mo.
As you all know by now, I have been fighting this fitness fight for about 8 years. I would find my motivation, and you couldn’t stop me…then…I’d hit a brick wall. I’d stop myself by getting tired of whatever it was I was doing. I would get disappointed that I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. I would see results, and think FINALLY, and then go back to the lifestyle I was living before I started which would end in losing all of my progress. The last attempt that I did was very successful, and luckily I only lost part of that progress, but was able to pick back up where I left off. I did gain back some of the weight and had never really worked out throughout that period, so wasn’t really fit. In 2016, I found motivation that I never knew I had. I had a support system that got me going, and somehow, even though that support system has change quite a bit over the last year, I have been able to keep that motivation going. That actually surprises me! I never knew I had it in me to workout at home. I didn’t realize how easy (Most of the time) it would be to pass up a crispy bowl of tortilla chips, or just eat 5 and push the bowl away. That control came from somewhere down in the dark depths of my soul. LOL Fortunately, I was able to dig it up and hold onto it! It may be taking me longer than I had hoped this time around, but I am making it happen!
This week had its ups and downs. I went to see Dr. Shiver for my third appointment for my back. He said he was happy with the progress I was making in loosening up the muscles in my lower back. I still have some work to do though, because the muscles in my neck (Which are all connected) are still pretty tight. I get pretty sore after seeing him because of all of the muscle manipulation, so it usually takes a day or two to feel good enough to do a good workout. Thankfully, we had a REALLY nice day Wednesday and I was able to take Wili for an hour walk. It was good for both of us, although I was a bit stiff afterwards.
I also had a follow up appointment with my PC. I was so excited to go because I was 12 lbs lighter than I was when I went back in March. Yeah, that wasn’t even mentioned. Instead, I got a call from them yesterday saying that my Dr. wanted to have a telecall with her on Monday to see what we could do to treat my cholesterol that came back a bit higher than back in March. UGH I was so disappointed. I know that sometimes your body just can’t fix certain things on its own, but it still sucks since I have been doing so well. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. My issues are SO minute compared to so many others. I just need to look at the positives, deal with the unfortunate road blocks, and keep myself from giving up.
This week’s meals were pretty standard, but with quite a few tacos. LOL It was also football kickoff, and one of the cooler days of the week, and since soup and chili are pretty much staples year ’round in this house, we wanted to try something new. We found a recipe for Instant Pot beef stew, and it was perfect…although the opening day game was not so much. 😛
Next week will be interesting because I plan on being a bit lax on the food journaling and have a little dessert, but I’m hoping to get quite a bit of walking/hiking in. We’ll see. Like I mentioned on my FB post last week, I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I won’t make 140 by October 18th. It’s a little disappointing, but if I am within 5 lbs, or so, what’s not to be happy about? I mean, this time has gone MUCH slower than I would prefer, but 16+ lbs is nothing to sneeze at (Unless you live in TX, and you are allergic to everything outside and have two convertible cars, and like walking and sitting on the patio. In that case, there’s lots of sneezing. :-P)
I don’t know what it is about this time around, but my mindset has changed. I feel better about myself, where I am, and where I’m headed. It’s still at the forefront of my mind, but I’m trying not to let it bog me down like I was before. It was all consuming, but now, it’s just mostly consuming. LOL I’m still working on that part, but I’m getting there. Baby steps. Many, many baby steps…sometimes going back a few, or falling on my butt. But, just like any baby trying to walk, I’m getting right back up and trying again. I’m not letting the setbacks get under my skin as much. Instead of letting it bother me too much, I’m using them to inspire me to do more…to be more..to be who I hope to be, both inside and out. It’s a hard balance, but I’m hoping to get there…some day.
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett
Don’t let go of your goals. Do everything you can to reach them, and if you have a setback, just get back up and try again!
-Kisha
Weights and measures: September
“Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.” – Unknown
SW: 162.7 lbs
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: 148.3 lbs
Loss= 0.2 lbs
Overall loss= 14.4 lbs
Inches lost: 2.75″
Overall inches lost: 13.75″
When doubting yourself, remember how far you’ve come. I think about this often. It’s just about the only way to keep me motivated. I will look in the mirror, or step on the scale, and I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten very far…but, I have. I haven’t posted a photo here of when I was at my heaviest. I was at 192 lbs back in December of 2012. I was given the diagnosis of being prediabetic. Yikes. That was the one and ONLY thing that gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get myself on the right track. I kicked diabetes in the butt. YAY! Even though I gained about 20 lbs back after losing over 50 lbs, I never completely gave up again. I would take a break here and there, and by that I mean I would stop logging my food, and/or stop working out. I never did have a great workout routine until 2016, so even when I lost those 50+ lbs, I was never this fit. I don’t always feel fit when I look in the mirror, or when I have a set back with my back and feel like I have to start over with my weight lifting…the thing is, I look different in that mirror, and I have never completely lost my strength. Yes, I might go from doing flies with 15’s to having to push 12.5’s until I get back to where I was, but I didn’t have to go back to 5’s! I am so far from where I was, even just 1 year ago. I have to remind myself of that…DAILY.
This week was…interesting. I had absolutely no pain in my back. The problem muscle has decided to behave ;), and my hips have felt better. My neck is still giving me some issues. I will be talking with the Dr. about that on Tuesday. The weird part was, I felt pretty darn good after my workouts. I did my stretches, and iced (I guess that may always be a thing, but I’m hoping not…eventually.), and felt good. BUT, I did some deep cleaning in a couple of rooms in the house, and it took me two days to recover from that, even after stretching and icing. I really do hope I can get past that at some point. It’s a little difficult to have to depend on those ice packs, especially when going on a road trip where I really don’t have a way to keep them frozen. The good thing is, as you can see in the two bottom pics above, I was back at TRX this week! I tried it twice, but the second time it was 91 degrees out in the garage, and I nearly passed out about half way through. I was feeling a bit off the rest of the day, but was able to take a good long(ish) walk in the evening, which made me feel better about having to stop mid workout. I was very tired last night, but now all is well.
Nothing crazy about our food choices this week. Everything was within my points, although I wonder if the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (OMG SO yummy) made my loss this week a little less than desired, but you know what? It was tasty, and I will have another something similar this week. It’s Fall by meteorology calculations, so it’s PUMPKIN season! Yes, I know I have goals, and I am doing a lot of things perfectly, but dadgummit…I am NOT going to let Fall pass me by without having some of my favorite menu items. I will just make sure that I keep them to a minimum, and spread them out. A girl’s got to have her pumpkin!
As I said, I have goals, and unfortunately, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will most likely will not hit my biggest goal when I had planned, but it is what it is. I will get there this year. PERIOD. I WILL. I am tired of letting those goals slowly slip away. It’s very taxing on my brain, heart and emotions to keep letting them go. So, if I do not hit my goal before October 18th, I WILL hit it by Thanksgiving. I will keep telling myself that as I follow my weekly menu and pushing those weights. I’ve got this.
“Don’t quit yet, the worst moments are usually followed by the most beautiful silver linings. You have to stay strong, remember to keep your head up and remain hopeful.” – Unknown
Be good to yourselves this week. You’re worth it!
-Kisha
Going from fluffy to fit & fabulous! 